Dolomite and Quartz

Mechanism and kinetics of the reaction: 1 dolomite + 2 quartz = 1 diopside + 2 CO2: a comparison of rock-sample and of powder experiments

Two experiments using cylindrical samples of a dolomite-quartz rock were carried out in a conventional hydrothermal apparatus for the forward reaction: 1 dolomite + 2 quartz = 1 diopside + 2 CO2, in order to compare the mechanism and the kinetics with results from experiments using mineral powders of dolomite and quartz at the same P-T-X conditions.

Experimental conditions were as follows: total pressure 500 MPa; temperature 680° C (overstepping 65° C); CO2 content of the fluid phase, consisting of carbon dioxide and water, was nearly 90 mol%; the fluid/rock ratio was 1:37, and the H2O/rock ratio was about 1:740; run duration was 92 days. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination of a polished axial section of the rock cylinders after the run, using back-scattered electrons (BSE), shows that the reaction produced corona textures.